AP government to conduct a massive, 32-month survey of lands in the state

Andhra Pradesh government is taking up a comprehensive land survey in the state from 1 January 2021.

This would be the first land assessment in the state since 1930, the officials said adding that the exercise would purify the land records and help resolve many long-pending land-related matters especially that of the farmers.

The survey, to begin simultaneously in all the mandals including the urban areas, is expected to be completed by August 2023, taking over two and half years’ time.

During a review meeting on the subject on Monday, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has directed the officials to enhance the number of survey teams from the present 4500 and also procure drones, rovers, marking stones with special designs and base stations to enable a methodical land survey.

All the survey equipment should be made available at the village secretariats, with the surveyors trained in the latest technology.

Reddy also asked officials to provide the land registration services in all village secretariats for quick redressal and updating of the records. Mobile tribunals should be utilized for quick disposal of disputes on the spot, he said

Public awareness on the land survey should be created through gram sabhas and village secretariats, with hoardings etc., material.

Officials said that Andhra Pradesh will be the first state in the country to take up a comprehensive land survey employing latest technology.

A pilot of the survey conducted at Takkellapadu in Jaggayapeta Mandal of Krishna district revealed variations in the count of survey numbers and the landholdings. While the landholdings have gone up from earlier 182 to 631, the survey numbers are 829, the officials said.

Officials explained measures initiated to solve the pending land disputes. While 52,866 disputes are in the revenue courts, a special drive is on to rectify 79,405 issues pertaining to the AP’s webland portal – an online database of the state’s lands.